Pahalgam attack: Understanding the Simla Agreement

The killing of 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam has led to a diplomatic fallout between India and Pakistan. .While relations between the two countries have been frosty for years, the recent terror attack has deteriorated the situation further. One of the steps taken by Pakistan has been to suspend the Simla Agreement of 1972. What is this 53-year-old document, which tried to hold together the fragile peace between the two neighbours? Here are details about why India and Pakistan signed the agreement and how its suspension can impact bilateral relations. .What is the Simla Agreement? .The Simla Agreement is a bilateral accord between India and Pakistan, signed on July 2, 1972, in Shimla by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It was adopted just months after Pakistan was split into two, following its worst military defeat by India. The 13-day full-scale war between the two countries led to the creation of Bangladesh and the surrender of over 90,000 Pakistani troops. “The Government of India and the Government of Pakistan are resolved that the two countries put an end to the conflict and confrontation that have hitherto marred their relations and work for the promotion of a friendly and harmonious relationship and the establishment of durable peace in the sub-continent, so that both countries may henceforth devote their resources and energies to the pressing task of advancing the welfare of their peoples,” the agreement states.Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had called the pact a “very important beginning” in the Indo-Pak relations. Since 1972, this three-page document was expected to guide Indo-Pak bilateral relations. However, both its letter and spirit have been frequently violated over the last five decades. .What does it do? .As part of the agreement, India and Pakistan agreed to pull back their forces to their side of the international border, which they had crossed during the Bangladesh war. They promised to respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and not to meddle in the other country’s internal affairs.In Jammu and Kashmir, the cease-fire line of December 17, 1971 was declared as the line of control (LOC) and both countries agreed to respect it, “without prejudice to the recognised position of either side”. “Neither side shall seek to alter it [LOC] unilaterally, irrespective of mutual differences and legal interpretations. Both sides further undertake to refrain from the threat or the use of force in violation of this Line,” the Agreement states. To normalise relations, India and Pakistan resolved to open trade, border posts, and promote travel facilities. However, following the Pahalgam attack, the borders have been closed, trade has been halted and Pakistani citizens have been asked to leave India. Pertinently, the two countries also resolved to settle their difference by “peaceful means through bilateral negotiations or by any other peaceful means mutually agreed upon between them”. Such assurances, apart from others in the pact, have now been suspended..What next? .The Simla Agreement is a political commitment made by India and Pakistan to each other, without any mechanism to legally enforce it. For the most part, it has relied on political goodwill on both sides to remain in effect. India has referred to the Simla Agreement to argue that Kashmir is a bilateral issue and there is no need for the involvement of a third party like the United Nations (UN) or any other country.However, Pakistan’s decision to suspend it marks a new low in the two countries’ diplomatic relations, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Agreement will be revived in the future..[Read the Pact]